Key Words Flashcards
Absorbency
The light ability of a material to draw in moisture, light or heat
Accuracy
The degree of closeness of a measurement to its true value
Adhesive
A chemical used to stick or glue objects together
Aesthetics
How a object appeals to the five senses
Alloy
A mixture of two or more metals
Annotation
Adding labels identifying and explaining the key features on a drawing
Anthropometric data
Measurements that are taken from millions of people of different shapes and sizes and placed in charts
Batch Production
Making a series of groups of identical products
Bill of materials
A list of materials and/or components needed to manufacture an end product
Biodegradable material
A material that decomposes rapidly as a result of the action of microorganisms
Biodegrade
Decompose or rot due to interaction with the environment
Bioplastics
Plastics made using biological substances instead of oil
Biopolymer
A polymeric substance produced by living organisms
Bleaching
A finish for fabrics that removes all natural colour
Blow moulding
A process used to shape hollow polymer products
Bonding
A method of joining fabrics without stitching
Boning
Using rigid strips of fabric /material to maintain the shape of a textile product
Brazing
A joining process for metals where a filler metal is melted to join parts together at high temperature
CAD
Computer-aided-design
Cam
A mechanism that converts rotary motion to reciprocating motion
Casting
Pouring molten metal into a mould to form a product
Circular economy
A model that aims to increase the use of renewable energy and design products that are ‘made to be made again’
CNC
Computer numerical control, using a string of numbers to control movements of a machine
Commercial impact
How well a product sells and generates revenue
Composite
A material made up of two or more other materials that are not chemically combined
Compression moulding
A process used to shape products from thermosetting polymer
Computer-aided-design
The use of a computer software to produce designs for products
Computer-aided-engineering
The use of a computer software to aid in engineering analysis tasks
Computer-aided-manufacturing
The use of a computer software to control machine tools to manufacture products
Concept model
A model produced to illustrate the overall concept of a proposed product
Corrosion Resistance
The ability of a material not to be damaged by its environment
Crafting
A drawing technique that uses boxes to act as a guideline for drawings
Darts
Folds coming to a point that are sewn into fabric to provide shape
Density
Mass of a material per unit volume
Design Brief
A short description of a design problem and how it is to be solved
Design classic
A product that has had a large influence on the world of design of the wider public
Die casting
A process where molten metal is shaped using pressure and a reusable mould
Die cutting
A process that uses metal blades and a press to cut a shape in paper or card
Disruptive technology
An innovation that creates a new market or way of doing things
Driver circuit
A circuit that is used to boost current levels to those needed by an output device
Durability
The ability of a material to last a long time without being damaged
Economies of scale
A saving in cost per product gained by making a higher number of products
Effort
The force applied to something
Elasticity
The ability of a material to return to its original shape when a force is removed
Electrical conductivity
The ability of electricity to pass through a material
Electronic system
A collection of input, process, driver and and output stages that respond to, change and produce different types of signal
End user
The person or people that will use the product when it is completed
Ergonomics
The study of how people interact with the products and systems around them
Etching
The use of a chemical, heat or machine to remove selected parts of a material surface
Ethical design
Designing with regard to people principles, beliefs and morals
Exclusive design
Design of products for a limited audience
Exploded drawing
A picture that shows how the parts of a product fit together
Exploring existing designs
Analysing and critiquing designs that have already been produced
Extrusion
Making a sectional shape by pushing material through a die
Fair trade
A movement that works to help people in developing countries get a fair deal for the products that they produce
Ferrous metal
Metal that contains a significant amount of iron
Finite resource
A resource of which there is only limited amount of
Flammability
How easy a material burns
Flow chart
A diagram that shows the order in which a series of commands or events is carried out
Fossil Fuels
Fuel created from the remains of dead organism over a long period of time; for example, coal, oil and gas
Fulcrum
The pivot point of a lever
Function
How a product or system works and/or what it does
Functionality
How well a product fulfils the purpose it needs to meet
Gathering
A sewing technique that allows a garment to increase fullness or widen out, or for shortening the length of a strip of fabric; allows a longer piece to be attached to a shorter piece
Gear
A mechanism used to transfer rotary motion, which can also change the direction or magnitude of the force transmitted
Grain
The growth rings visible on the surface of the wood
Graphene
A form of consisting of sheets which are one atom thick
GSM
Grams per square metre;the thickness of paper or card
Hardness
The resistance of a material to wear and abrasion
Hardwood
Wood from deciduous trees that shreds their leaves during autumn
Hydro-energy
Energy that is taken from flowing water, typically by releasing water from a dam to turn turbines
Inclusive design
Design of products that can be used by everyone without special adaption’s
Injection moulding
A process used to shape polymer products
Input device
A device that turns a real-world signal, such as light,sound or movement, into an electronic signal
Integrated circuit (IC)
A complete electronic circuit contained on a single small microchip
Isometric Projection
A scaled 3D drawing with sides at an angle of 30 degrees to the baseline
Iteration design
A cyclic design approach where each iteration is tested, evaluated and refined, resulting in a new iteration
Jig
A custom-made tool designed to achieve accuracy, repeatability and interchangeability during product manufacture
Just-in-time manufacturing
Manufacturing where items from suppliers and interchangeability during product manufacture
Knitted
Made from yarn using interlocking loops
Laminating
A finishing technique for paper and cardboards that is created by applying a plastic film to both sides of the material
Laminating (Other materials)
Overlaying a flat object or sheet of material with a layer of protective material
Layering
Adding multiple layers of material to a textile product to increase its strength
Lean manufacturing
A systematic approach to eliminate all forms of waste in manufacturing
Lever
A simple device that pivots about a fulcrum
Life cycle assessment
A tool for systematically evaluating the environmental aspects of a product or system
Line bending
A process that involves bending thermoplastic along a heated line
Linear
Moving in a straight line
Linkage
An assembly of parts used to transfer motion between two mechanisms, which can also change the direction or magnitude the force transmitted
Malleable
Pliable, able to be pressed or forced into shaped without breaking
Marketing
The act of promoting or advertising a product or system
Mass production
Making the same product on a large scale
Mathematical model
A representation of a product or system using mathematical formulae
Microcontroller
A small computer on a chip that is designed for use in a control applications
Moulding
Using a former to shape a material
Nanomaterial
A material made up of particles that are less than 100 nm ( nanometres) in size
Nanotechnology
Functional systems developed at the molecular or ‘nano’ scale
Natural fibres
Fibres from sources such as animals and plants
New and emerging technologies
Technologies that are new. currently being developed or that will be developed in the next 5-10 years
Non-ferrous metals
Metal that does not contain iron
Non-renewable energy source
An energy source that cannot replenish itself quickly and therefore will eventually run out
Nuclear energy
Energy that is created by making use of highly controlled nuclear reactions, such as nuclear fission
Offset lithography
A printing process for paper and boards
One-off/bespoke production
Making a single product to a specific customer
Oscillating
Swinging in alternative directions
Output device
A device that turns an electronic signal into a real-world signal, such as light,sound or movement
Overlocker
A specialised sewing machine used for joining fabrics
Pattern
A type of template that is used to trace the shape of parts of a garment onto fabric before it is cut
Perforation
A hole in the material
Plasticity
The ability of a material to be shaped or moulded
Pleating
Making a double or multiple fold in a textile product, held by stitching
Polishing
A finishing technique used to protect and improve the aesthetics of metals and plastics
Polymer
A material made from chains of a repeating chemical part called a monomer
Pressing
Applying pressure to deform a product/material
Process
Changes an electronic signal to create functions such as timing, latching and counting
Pulley
A mechanism compromising two wheels linked by a belt; this transfers rotary motion and can also change the direction or magnitude of the force transmitted
Punching
A wasting process that forces a tool through a material to create a hole
Rapid prototyping
An additive manufacturing technology used to produce a 3D product in a single operation from a CAD model
Reciprocating
Moving backwards and forwards
Recycle
To reprocess or convert waste back into a useful material
Reinforcing
Adding strength or stiffness to a product
Rendering
Applying colour, shade and texture to a drawing to make it look more realistic
Renewable energy source
A source that can replenish itself quickly and therefore will not run out
Rotating
Turning in a circle
Rotational moulding
A process used to shape polymer products
Scale
The ratio of the size of a drawn object to the size of the object
Self-finishing material
A material that it already manufactured with good surface finish
Selvedge
An edge of a fabric that won’t fray
Sewing
A method of joining fabrics by stitching with thread
Shearing
A wasting process used to cut material
Sketch modelling
Creating a 3D object from a 2D shape using CAD softwares
Smart materials
Materials whose properties change as a result of external stimuli, such as heat or light or pressure
Softwood
Wood from trees that maintain their foliage all year round
Solar energy
Energy that is taken from the sun, typically by using solar panels to harness sunlight and convert it into electricity
Soldering
A joining process for metals where a filler metal is melted to join parts together
Stakeholder
A person or business interest in a product being designed and developed
Standard Components
Common parts that are commercially available in specified sizes
Stiffness
How rigid an object is
Stock form
The shape of material commonly available from a supplier
Strength
The ability of a material to withstand a force that is applied to it
Superalloy
A metal alloy that can withstand exceptional temperature, stresses or corrosive environments
Sustainable
Naturally replenished within a short period of time
Sustainable development
Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs
Synthetic
made by people; not natural
Synthetic fibres
Human-made fibres; typically from fossil fuels
Systems-based approach
A top-down design approach that starts with an overview of the overall system in terms of its input, process and output subsystems
Technical textile
Fabric made for its performance properties rather than aesthetic characteristics
Template
Used to draw a shape onto material which can then be cut around
Thermal conductivity
The ability of heat to pass through a material
Thermoplastic polymer
A polymer that can be reshaped when it is heated
Thermosetting polymer
A polymer that will not change its shape when it is heated
Toile
An early version of a piece of clothing, usually made from cheap materials
Tolerance
The permissible limits of variation in the dimensions or physical properties of a manufactured product or part
Toughness
The ability of a material to absorb an impact without rupturing
Triangulation
Dividing a structure into triangles to reinforce it
Turning
Using lathe to create a product with a round profile by wasting
User-centred design
A design approach where the needs and wants of the end user are considered extensively at each stage of the design process
Vacuum forming
A process where heated plastic is formed onto a mould using a vacuum
Varnishing
A finishing technique for timber where varnish is applied to protect the wood underneath
Veneer
A thin layer of wood
Viability
When a product is not only purchased initially, but performs well enough for it to be recommended to others, and for sales to continue
Wasting
Removal of a material
Welding
A joining process for metals where the parts are melted along the joint line by heat
Wind energy
Energy that is taken from the wind, typically by using wind turbines to generate electricity
Woven
Made from interlaced threads
Yarn
Spun and twisted thread made from fibres
